Last Updated on 22/11/2021 by Sanskriti
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have requested the support of US cybersecurity experts to battle ransomware and safeguard cloud computing systems from hackers, according to officials. The internet giants are among the firms that have signed on to be a part of a Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, which aims to combine government and private sector knowledge and resources to battle hackers, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
“With these extraordinarily capable partners, our initial focus will be on efforts to combat ransomware and developing a planning framework to coordinate incidents affecting cloud service providers,” CISA director Jen Easterly said.
Last week, US President Joe Biden voiced worry about the recent rise in cyberattacks, particularly ransomware, which encrypts victims’ data and then demands money to regain access.
“If we end up in a war, a real shooting war, with a major power, it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach,” Biden said.
New partnerships during the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas were revealed by easterly which brought together industry professionals to share research and ideas.
“Damages from cybercrime is costing the world trillions, and ransomware has become a scourge,” Easterly said in a keynote presentation at the event.
“I want to focus on strengthening the government’s collaboration with the private sector – industry, academia, researchers, hackers.”
According to CISA, the new center would be involved in coordinating the national cyber defence, exchanging threat intelligence, and participating in joint exercises.
More computer security businesses should join the collaborative effort, Easterly said.
